Manjinder Singh, 5, and Sukhman Singh, 6, drowned in a pond at Daroli Bhai village in Moga on Wednesday, the police said.
"We had dug up a temporary pond for storage of water for construction. A group of children were playing nearby and the two victims fell into the water. The other
children's screams alerted the villagers, who rushed to the spot. However, the children's bodies could be recovered only after a search of hours," said Amarjit Singh Sangha, a prominent villager.

Deputy superintendent of police Jaspal Singh Dhillon, said: "The children drowned while playing." The police rushed the bodies to Dr Mathura Dass civil hospital, Moga, where the doctors conducted an autopsy and handed over the body to the family members.